Tinting device

ABSTRACT

A tint mixing apparatus having a supply shelf in the form of a lazy-susan and having a plurality of vertically disposed rotating supply decks for the paint containers holding the basic tints. The supply decks can be moved vertically and the lower decks are provided with recesses at their rims which are larger than the support platform of the scale and bypass this platform when the lower decks are moved in a vertical direction.

United States Patent 1 1 Morick 1 1 TINTING DEVICE [75] Inventor: UlrichMorick, Rinkerode, Germany [73] Assignee: Bast Farben & FasernAktiengesellschait, Hamburg, Germany [22] Filed: Sept. 25, 1974 [21]Appl. No.: 509,034

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 28, 1973 Germany 2348791[52] US. Cl. 177/70; 222/140; 222/1685, 141/83; 141/100 [51] Int. ClGOlg 19/22 [58] Field of Search 177/60, 70, 83; 222/140,

[ Apr. 22, 1975 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,848,0198/1958 Corbin ct a1. 177/70 X Primary E.\'aminerGeorge H. Miller, Jr.Attorney, Agent, or F irm--Krafft & Wells ABSTRACT A tint mixingapparatus having a supply shelf in the form of a lazy-susan and having aplurality of vertically disposed rotating supply decks for the paintcontainers holding the basic tints. The supply decks can be movedvertically and the lower decks are provided with recesses at their rimswhich are larger than the support platform of the scale and bypass thisplatform when the lower decks are moved in a vertical direction.

9 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures TINTING DEVICE CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATEDAPPLICATION Applicant claims priority under 35 U.S.C. ll9 forApplication P 23 48 791.4, filed Sept. 28, 1973 in the Patent Office ofthe Federal Republic of Germany.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a tinting devicewith a lazysusan type supply shelf of two rotating decks, each paintcontainer holding the basic tints provided with a controlled outletvalve, stirring equipment associated with each paint container, a vessellocated underneath the outlet valve for receiving the paint mixture, andeach paint container provided with a metering scale with a receivingplatform.

In many fields of the color or painting industry, but especially withrespect to automobile painting, one encounters the problem of the readyand ever-present availability of a plurality of paint mixtures, forinstance for the purpose of repairs by means of the color mixture whichis adapted to the object of the repair. It is conventional practice incar painting to prepare the color mixtures fitted to the particularbodies by mixing the various basic colors in the proper volume or weightratios. The recipes are found in tabular form in the ap-' propriateliterature. Each recipe contains data about vehicle type, year of make,color tint and coding of mixture, the information being arranged withrespect to quantities. In this manner the automobile painting facilityis able to prepare itself any desired tint from about 30 to 40 basiccolors.

So-called tint mixing devices for performing these mixtures are known,which essentially consist of a lazysusan type supply shelf wherein thevarious basic colors will be adjusted. The painter containers areequipped with stirrers to prevent pigment sedimentation. This supplyshelf is combined with a suitably adapted scale which may be locatedunderneath a supply deck of the supply structure to allow automaticrefilling from the paint container into a mixing vessel. When use ismade of a supply structure with several decks above the paintcontainers, this supply structure located underneath the scale, thepaint must be moved to a level above the container when employed, andtherefore time-costly manual labor is involved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention addresses the problem ofimproving the automation of the paint mixing apparatus to such an extentthat the desired basic color will move over the paint mixing vessellocated on the scale.

This object of the invention is achieved by designing the supply deckscarrying the paint containers to be movable in both vertical directionsand in providing a recess in the peripheral area of the lower story,this recess being larger than the seating platform of the scale. Thisallows mounting the scale in stationary manner below the uppermostsupply deck, and eliminating shifting of the scale when the supplyvessels of the lower supply deck are being used. When the paintcontainers of the lower supply deck are needed, the rotatable supplydeck will be moved until the recess provided therein is locatedunderneath the scale platform seating the mixing vessel, whereupon thisrotatable supply deck is lifted and rotated again until the desired LIIpaint container is above the seating platform of the scale. Obviously,one may also provide more than two superposed supply decks, the onlyrequirement being to further apply the basic principle of the invention.

Because that part of the supply shelf which supports the supply decksmay be vertically moved in penumatic or hydraulic manner, the use of anexplosion-proof electrical motor, which would increase the cost of theequipment, is not required.

The superposed supply decks may be moved vertically as a single unit,but obviously they may also, if desired, be so designed that they mayfurther move with respect to each other.

The up and down motion of the supply decks, the rotational motion ofeach single one and the actuation of the outlet valves may be controlledin conformity with a characteristic of the invention individually andindepently from one another. Similarly, and with respect to a preferredembodiment, the up and down motion of the supply deck, the rotationalmotion of each supply deck and the actuation of the outlet valve isobtained by means of program control with the metering scale acting as asignal generator. In this latter instance, completely automaticprogrammed mixing is allowed by a built-in program card reader. Thisprogram holds not only the values of components and weights in cleartext, but also in the form of holes which can be read by automation, sothat upon inserting the card into the card reader, all ensuingoperations take place automatically as a function of the signalsgenerated by the scale.

The rotation of each supply deck may take place by means of a ratchetcircuit, but preferably by means of a reversible drive motor, so that ato and fro motion of the supply stores with respect to the rotation isfeasible. dr

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The drawing illustrates an embodimentof the invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a graphical and diagrammatical view of the paint mixingapparatus of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a top view of the apparatus, namely the lower supply deck.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The drawing shows a supplyshelf 1 provided with two supply decks 2 and 3 designed as rotatingdisks. A turntable known per se is located on each supply deck to seatone paint container 4 per turntable. The paint containers 4 may beplaced in the turntables and be coupled to a stirring system shown at 5in FIG. 1. The turntable may be connected with a gear by means of ashaft, said gear revolving in a gear ring so that the turntable willexecute a planetary motion, and hence also the paint containers 4, uponrotation of supply deck 2 or 3, causing stirring of the paint andconstantly ensuring even distribution of the pigment. Clearly any otherstirring system known in the paint industry also may be used, preferablyalready known systems being used in order to allow as economical aconstruction of the overall paint mixing equipment as possible.

Paint containers 4 are provided with a metering valve 6 at their bottomsand preferably at the outer rim of latter, this valve also being knownin the paint industry and allowing filling by heavy, medium or fineflow. This valve may be actuated by a lever system controlled as low.

function of the scale proper. Theindividual containers 4 providedwith'valve(s) 5 may also be used manually,

sothat the equipment may be used in many more applications.

Whereas the upper supply deck is filled along its entire periphery withpaint container 4, the lower supply deck 3 is provided with a recess 7designed in conjunction with the weighing system, which is explained be-FIG. 1 shows scale 8, which is equipped with a seating platform 9supporting a mixing vessel 10. The scale is fixed and by means of itsseating platform 9 penetrates the fictitious cylinder defined by theouter rims of support discs 2 and 3. Therefore. lifting of supply deck 3is only feasible if recess 7 is located precisely underneath supportplatform 9.

The control equipment further comprises switching weights indicating thereference weight(s) on the side ofthe ,scale beam opposite supportplatform 9. Several switching weights of various values areprovided foreach decimal location (0 to 0.9; O to 9 gm; 0 to 90 gm; 0 to 900 gm; 0to 9 kg). By setting up the weights in the binary code, 4 weights willsuffice for each set. Use of the weights and hence setting thereferences may be obtained by manually selecting the switching weightsor by means of a punched card.

A control system 11 is provided with the required switching parts forthe various individual operational sequence and it may further comprisea card reader loadedwith corresponding programming cards through insertslit 1 2.

lfabasic color is required. which is contained in a pain t container ofupper supply deck 2, then the latter is moved over the mixing vessel byrotating the sup ply deck and subsequently outlet valve 6 is actuated,either by hand or automatically. After the various basic colors havebeen placed in accordance with the desired codinginto mixing vessel 10,the latter contains the desired paint mixture. If a basic colorcontained in a paint vessel on supply deck3 used, the latter isautomatically rotated, upon actuationof its associated switch, so thatrecess 7 arrives below support platform 9, then supply deck'3 is lifteduntil it is above mixing vessel 10, whereupon the required rotationautomatically takes place to move the corresponding paint container overthe mixing vessel.

FIG. 1 shows individual switches in switching strips l3 and 14, eachswitch being associated with a given basic color. Such an arrangement isadvantageous if the 4 equipment is meant to operate by means other thanprogramming.

I claim:

1. In a tint mixing apparatus with a supply shelf in the form of alazy-susan, comprising a plurality of vertically disposed rotatingsupply decks for the paint containers holding the basic tints, each deckbeing provided with a controllable outlet valve, and further comprisinga stirring system for each paint container and a metering scale with asupport platform for the vessel receiving the paint mixture, said vesselbeing located underneath the valve(s) of the paint containers, theimprovement comprising:

said supply decks (2,3) of supply shelf l) supporting the paintcontainers (4), have means for moving vertically, and in that lowerdecks (3) are provided with recesses (7) at their rims, said recessesbeing larger than the support platform (9) of scale (8).

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein two superposed supplydecks are provided.

3. The apparatus asdefined in claim 1, wherein said superposed supplydecks have means for moving together along the vertical direction.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the portion of saidsupply shelf (1) which supports supply decks (2,3) is moved verticallyby hydraulic means.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the portion of saidsupply shelf (1) which supports supply decks (2,3) is moved verticallyby pneumatic means.

6. The apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein the vertical motion ofsupply decks (2,3), the rotation of each supply deck (2,3) and theactuation of the outlet valve (6) is controlled manually andindependently from each other.

7,. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein rotation of each supplydeck (2,3) takes place by means of a reversible drive motor.

8. The apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein the vertical motion ofsupply decks (2,3), the rotation of each of supply decks (2,3) and theactuation of the outlet valve (6) is adapted to programming control withinsertion of the metering scale (8) as a signal generator.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said programming controlis provided with switching weights indicating the reference weight atthe power arm of metering scale (8), said weightsallowing control bydata cards or manually with respect to their reference indication.

1. In a tint mixing apparatus with a supply shelf in the form of alazy-susan, comprising a plurality of vertically disposed rotatingsupply decks for the paint containers holding the basic tints, each deckbeing provided with a controllable outlet valve, and further comprisinga stirring system for each paint container and a metering scale with asupport platform for the vessel receiving the paint mixture, said vesselbeing located underneath the valve(s) of the paint containers, theimprovement comprising: said supply decks (2,3) of supply shelf (1)supporting the paint containers (4), have means for moving vertically,and in that lower decks (3) are provided with recesses (7) at theirrims, said recesses being larger than the support platform (9) of scale(8).
 1. In a tint mixing apparatus with a supply shelf in the form of alazy-susan, comprising a plurality of vertically disposed rotatingsupply decks for the paint containers holding the basic tints, each deckbeing provided with a controllable outlet valve, and further comprisinga stirring system for each paint container and a metering scale with asupport platform for the vessel receiving the paint mixture, said vesselbeing located underneath the valve(s) of the paint containers, theimprovement comprising: said supply decks (2,3) of supply shelf (1)supporting the paint containers (4), have means for moving vertically,and in that lower decks (3) are provided with recesses (7) at theirrims, said recesses being larger than the support platform (9) of scale(8).
 2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein two superposedsupply decks are provided.
 3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1,wherein said superposed supply decks have means for moving togetheralong the vertical direction.
 4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1,wherein the portion of said supply shelf (1) which supports supply decks(2,3) is moved vertically by hydraulic means.
 5. The apparatus asdefined in claim 1, wherein the portion of said supply shelf (1) whichsupports supply decks (2,3) is moved vertically by pneumatic means. 6.The apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein the vertical motion ofsupply decks (2,3), the rotation of each supply deck (2,3) and theactuation of the outlet valve (6) is controlled manually andindependently from each other.
 7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1,wherein rotation of each supply deck (2,3) takes place by means of areversible drive motor.
 8. The apparatus as defined by claim 1, whereinthe vertical motion of supply decks (2,3), the rotation of each ofsupply decks (2,3) and the actuation of the outlet valve (6) is adaptedto programming control with insertion of the metering scale (8) as asignal generaTor.